A New Policy Framework
Adopted in February 2024, the California Fish and Game Commission’s Coastal Fishing Communities Policy was a vision that emerged through input from community members within the Commission’s broader Coastal Fishing Communities Project initiative. The Commission first selected to act on the staff recommendation to “Develop and adopt a policy and definition for coastal fishing communities” to set a consistent policy standard and lens for considering action on other staff recommendations.
The resulting Coastal Fishing Communities Policy and definition was the first of ten staff recommendations for potential Commission prioritization. The following sections outline the evolution of the policy development and definition for coastal fishing communities, including next steps for exploring implementation of the policy’s goals.
The policy framework will guide the Commission in directing staff to pursue action on future recommendations related to supporting coastal fishing communities.
Policy StoryMap
To aid the public's understanding of the development, purpose, and implementation of the Coastal Fishing Communities Policy, the 2024 Commission Sea Grant Fellow created an informative StoryMap. This informational tool serves as a resource for coastal fishing communities to support their engagement with decision-makers. To learn more, we invite you to explore our Coastal Fishing Communities Policy StoryMap.
Overview and Definition
Project Overview
The Coastal Fishing Communities Project is a California Fish and Game Commission (Commission) initiative being pursued through the Commission’s Marine Resources Committee (MRC). This project began in 2016 after an initial statewide meeting was held by commission staff to explore the concerns and needs of fishing communities, particularly as fisheries resources were being impacted by climate and ocean conditions.
Community members urged the state to more directly recognize coastal fishing community goals, and the impact that different management options for pursuing conservation and utilization goals in fisheries management decisions may have on those communities.
Definition of Coastal Fishing Community
Federal law defines “fishing community” for purposes of federal fisheries management. But what about the state-managed fisheries context within which the Commission operates?
While no formal definition exists in State law, in 2019, MRC adopted a working definition developed in conjunction with fishing community members and stakeholders for purposes of state-managed fisheries, which the Commission formalized within a Commission Policy on Coastal Fishing Communities, adopted in February 2024, as follows:
A coastal fishing community is defined as:
“…a social, cultural, and/or place-based group whose members:
- are dependent upon, engaged in, or benefit from local, wild-capture, commercial, recreational, or subsistence marine fishery harvest or processing to meet the social or economic needs of the community;
- include, but are not limited to, businesses and organizations that depend upon or support marine fisheries by providing goods and services, including infrastructure to that community or those communities; and
- may be a subset or member of larger or associated coastal communities.”
Project Background
The initial statewide meeting held in 2016 revealed the value in expanding the Commission discussions on this topic to consider more localized needs. The Commission directed staff to broaden the conversation to receive public input at a local/port-level scale on issues of concern and areas in which the Commission can play a role to foster greater stability and long-term resilience through its decision making. Seven locally-focused coastal fishing community meetings were held from June 2017 through June 2018 to more thoroughly explore current conditions and changes experienced in different ports, constraints on adaptation, and needs for creating future resilience.
During this series of discussions between stakeholders and the Commissions’ MRC, stakeholders repeatedly highlighted concerns about impacts from unprecedented changes in the marine environment on the ability of coastal communities to rely on an ocean-based economy. Some broad topics of concern were:
- Fisheries management changes, complex regulations, and access
- Changing climate and ocean conditions and environmental impacts on fisheries
- Loss or decline of historic fisheries
- Potential flexibility to tailor fishing opportunities to port-specific conditions
- Deteriorating infrastructure due to increased variability in landings
- Difficulty retaining local markets
- Permit availability and costs
- Recruitment of new/young fishermen
- Data gaps in fishery management limiting new opportunities
- Competing uses
Commission staff compiled a report synthesizing key themes heard at the meetings as well as concerns unique to specific fishing communities. After an extensive MRC discussion and opportunities for public review, the Commission approved an MRC recommendation to adopt the Staff Synthesis Report on California Coastal Fishing Communities Meetings (PDF) (staff synthesis report) as final December 2019. This report included ten staff recommendations as “initial concepts for potential development,” herein referred to as “staff recommendations” or by acronym as “SRs”. The first action taken on those staff recommendations was a stakeholder workshop to develop the working definition described above, also adopted in 2019.
Project Phases
This progression of this project is organized into 3 phases:
Phase 1: Public Meetings (2016 to 2018)
In July 2016, the Commission held an in-depth coastal fishing communities meeting. Open to all interested parties, the meeting was designed to expand initial conversations on the issues facing California’s coastal fishing communities, to provide an opportunity for increased dialogue between stakeholders, and to identify common needs, concerns, and priorities to help inform future commission action.
Subsequently, commission staff hosted seven additional coastal fishing community meetings from June 2017 to July 2018 in Smith River, Atascadero, Ventura, Monterey, San Diego, El Granada/Half Moon Bay, and Fort Bragg. The meetings offered an opportunity to build on the previously identified statewide issues by adding site-specific perspectives and drawing directly from the experience and expertise of community members to help generate ideas and potential pathways forward for their communities and the state to help create more resilient coastal fishing communities.
Public meeting materials can be viewed through links in the table below.
| Date/Location |
Resources |
July 20, 2016
Petaluma, CA |
Coastwide Meeting Announcement (PDF)
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF) |
June 21, 2017
Smith River, CA |
Regional Meeting Flyer (PDF)
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF) |
October 11, 2017
Atascadero, CA |
Regional Meeting Flyer (PDF)
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
Video |
October 18, 2017
Ventura, CA |
Regional Meeting Flyer (PDF)
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF) |
November 18, 2017
Monterey, CA |
Regional Meeting Flyer (PDF)
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF) |
December 5, 2017
San Diego, CA |
Regional Meeting Flyer (PDF)
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF) |
June 1, 2018
El Granada, CA |
Regional Meeting Flyer (PDF)
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF) |
June 27, 2018
Fort Bragg, CA |
Regional Meeting Flyer (PDF)
Agenda (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
|
Phase 2: Staff Recommendations Analysis (2019 to 2022)
To further prioritize information-gathering to inform staff recommendations to the Commission, the MRC requested an in-depth analysis of each recommendation. The staff recommendations are limited to areas where the Commission could play a role or has authority to take direct action.
Update on Efforts Related to Initial Staff Recommendations (Included in Update Reports)
In 2020, staff drafted reports providing updates on efforts related to each initial staff recommendation to inform future Commission action. An overview of the update reports on all 10 recommendations was presented to the MRC at its November 10, 2020 MRC meeting. Each update report includes the original text of the staff recommendation with an overview, a summary of progress to date, potential next steps, and any linkages to other staff recommendations. Where applicable, each summary of progress is divided into four focal areas:
- Commission and Department Initiatives
- Collaborations and Partner Efforts
- Relevant External Actions and Models
- Education and Outreach
Analyses
In-depth reports are currently in development for each recommendation. Each staff recommendation is being evaluated using a draft standardized analytical approach (PDF). This approach focuses evaluation around four categories:
- Basic informational needs
- Current regulatory and policy context
- Potential Commission role
- Costs and benefits
The table below provides links to each staff recommendation update report and analysis document along with information on the date it was presented to MRC and the status of each staff recommendation analysis.
| Staff Recommendation (SR) |
Resource with Date Presented to MRC |
| SR 1: Develop and adopt a policy and definition for coastal fishing communities |
Update Report (PDF) November 10, 2020
Analysis (PDF) March 16, 2021 |
| SR 2: Review the Commission’s policy on restricted access commercial fisheries |
Update Report (PDF) November 10, 2020
Analysis In progress |
| SR 3: Approve specific, small-scale projects to test and evaluate proposed new approaches |
Update Report (PDF) November 10, 2020
Analysis (PDF) March 16, 2021 |
| SR 4: Engage legislative staff to pursue adjustments to laws as ideas are refined, if warranted to support fishing community adaptability |
Update Report (PDF) November 10, 2020
Analysis (PDF) March 16, 2021 |
| SR 5: Direct staff to increase engagement and coordination with sister agencies, when feasible, on management decision affecting California coastal communities |
Update Report (PDF) November 10, 2020
Analysis (PDF) March 16, 2021 |
| SR 6: Explore pathways for authorizing community-based adaptable fishery structures (e.g., community permit banks or risk pools) |
Update Report (PDF) November 10, 2020
Analysis in progress |
| SR 7: Explore filling data needs through collaborative research and data collection |
Update Report (PDF) November 10, 2020
Analysis in progress |
| SR 8: Survey communities, commercial and recreational fishers, and processors about their priorities for Commission focus |
Update Report (PDF) November 10, 2020
Analysis (PDF) March 16, 2021 |
| SR 9: Explore a model of “fishing community sustainability plans” (CSPs) and possible development of a state fisheries-based module to add to existing CSPs |
Update Report (PDF) November 10, 2020
Analysis in progress |
| SR 10: Continue to develop and understanding of climate change impacts on fisheries and fishing communities |
Update Report (PDF) November 10, 2020
Analysis in progress |
Phase 3: Commission Action and Implementation (2021 to Current)
The in-depth analyses of individual staff recommendations completed under Phase 2 were completed to support Commissioners as they guide commission staff on which staff recommendation(s) to pursue, and when. Each staff recommendation is unique and requires working with various partners, agencies, and stakeholders to effectively develop and implement them.
Some staff recommendations would require more time and partnerships than others. Any staff recommendation endorsed by the Commission is pursued as its own project; projects to date are highlighted below.
Action: Developing a Commission Policy on Coastal Fishing Communities
(SR 1 development 2021 to 2023; adopted February 2024)
In April 2021, the Commission selected to act on Staff Recommendation 1: Develop and adopt a policy and definition for coastal fishing communities, based on a recommendation from the MRC, and directed staff to begin developing a policy through stakeholder engagement.
2021 Regional Roundtables (September to October 2021)
Commission staff led six regionally-based stakeholder roundtables in the Fall of 2021 to gain insightful input from invited coastal fishing community leaders in each region, including fishermen, processors, fishing association representatives, and harbor masters.
The regional roundtables helped develop a series of draft policy goals and concepts. Staff presented the outcomes of these workshops to the MRC in November 2021 and received guidance from the Committee co-chairs to use the draft policy goals, concepts, and key elements presented and discussed to structure a public policy-drafting workshop.
2022 Policy-Drafting Public Workshops
Consistent with MRC direction, commission staff hosted two public policy-drafting workshops in 2022.
- Workshop 1: February 23, 2022
Staff hosted the first workshop on February 23, 2022. Staff relied on MRC feedback regarding the presented draft policy goals, concepts, and key elements to develop materials to support the workshop. Specifically, staff developed an initial draft policy as a springboard for exploring ideas and input during the workshop. Participants had access to background documents and in-meeting materials before the start of the workshop (see links below).
At the workshop, participants had the opportunity to review and provide input on each aspect of the staff initial draft policy. The initial draft was revised based on feedback in preparation for a second workshop. A summary of the February 2022 workshop is available in the link below:
Outcomes were presented at the MRC meeting on March 24, 2022 for discussion and direction on potential next steps. During the MRC meeting, Committee co-chairs approved the next steps to integrate revisions to the initial draft policy language where possible, distribute workshop outcomes to the participants, and develop and facilitate a second workshop.
- Workshop 2: December 1, 2022
Based on the first workshop and subsequent conversations, commission staff revised the initial draft policy and used it for discussion during a second policy-drafting workshop on December 1, 2022. Participants had access to background documents and in-meeting materials before the start of the workshop (see links below).
Input from participants during the second workshop played a crucial role in enabling staff to refine a draft policy for presentation to the Marine Resources Committee for consideration at its next meeting.
2023 Vetting of Proposed Policy: Marine Resources Committee, Commission, and Tribal Engagement (March to December 2023)
- March: Marine Resources Committee meeting, commission staff presented a proposed draft of the policy, which integrated input from the December 2022 public workshop. The Committee developed a recommendation to advance the proposed coastal fishing communities policy for Commission discussion in April 2023 and potential adoption in June 2023.
- June: The Commission discussed the proposed draft policy and concluded there was a need for more tribal engagement. The Commission postponed policy adoption to allow for tribal input and directed the discussion to the Commission’s Tribal Committee.
- December: The Tribal Committee discussed potential revisions to the proposed policy and recommended that the final version be sent to tribes for feedback prior to adoption by the Commission. At the Commission’s December meeting, Commission directed staff to send the proposed policy to all individual California tribes for review. Following Commission direction in December, staff sent letters to tribes and tribal representatives statewide to request review and input on the Commission’s revised proposed coastal fishing communities policy.
Commission Adopts New Policy on Coastal Fishing Communities
(February 14, 2024)
At the February 2024 Commission meeting, following additional input from coastal fishing communities and tribes on the revised proposed policy, the Commission adopted the final Coastal Fishing Communities Policy. The policy formalizes a vision for how the Commission engages with fishing communities, incorporates their needs into decision-making, and contributes to their resilience.
Developing a Policy Implementation Plan (March 2024 to Current)
The Commission is exploring pathways for implementing the goals of the Coastal Fishing Communities Policy. The Commission has directed its staff to pursue implementation by contacting coastal fishing communities members and leaders, California fisheries stakeholders, tribal members and representatives, and partners involved in the project to invite their participation in exploring how to implement the adopted policy. A formal implementation plan is not yet developed, but investment in the policy’s goals is ongoing.
Get Involved!
Thank you to coastal fishing community members and the public for your work throughout the policy visioning and development process. We look forward to continuing our work together and encourage you to reach out to fgc@fgc.ca.gov with any input or interest in contributing to Commission implementation of its new policy.